Andrew Yap started his career as a book lover and a bookseller, co-founding BookXcess and Big Bad Wolf Ventures (BBW) with his wife, Jacqueline Ng, to make books more affordable and accessible for everyone. They have transformed the book industry in Malaysia and beyond, reaching millions who might otherwise have been deprived of the joys of reading.

Yap firmly upholds the belief that knowledge is a right, not a privilege. His aspiration is to spark curiosity among the less literate and inspire non-readers. Both Yap and his wife consider themselves book evangelists who want to create a culture of reading.

BookXcess operates over 20 bookstores across Malaysia and Singapore, offering books at discounted prices. Yap believes increasing access to affordable books will lead to a more compassionate and educated world.

In addition, Yap runs the highly successful BBW events, known for their massive, multi-day pop-up sales that draw millions of visitors. These events have been held in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Kenya, and Tanzania. Yap considers the Big Bad Wolf event in Africa as his crowning achievement of the past year, as the company was the first to make books accessible in Africa.

Yap is not just a businessman but also a philanthropist and a champion for literacy. He has donated books to various causes and plans to build 2,000 community libraries in Malaysia by next year.